Submersible water pump

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a transfer or drainage pump, comprising an engine, usually electric, contained in a sealed body, that powers a turbine; said turbine sucks liquid that is close to the suction nozzle, and said liquid is expelled through an outlet duct. The pump includes an external casing with a top lid, a bottom lid and a wall that surrounds the pump, and includes a set of small holes extending over the inferior area of its surface, near the suction nozzle, and a set of bigger holes extending over the superior area of the casing. The present invention also includes a set of space maintainer appliances for the detachment of textile products, sanitary towels, towels, rags that are objects that produce the greater damage to submersible pumps due to the obstruction they can provoke.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention is about a submersible water pump that is surrounded by an external casing, said casing surrounding the body of the pump at a determined distance, said distance conforming a space in which water will be able to circulate; said casing including holes for the passage of water, and, eventually solid material. Said pump also including space maintainer appliances fixed to the holes of said encasing, a non-return valve and an electric flow sensor.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The field of the present invention refers to submersible water pumps, and, in particular, for those pumps that work in waste waters. Waste waters are known to include solid material, fibrous materials, vegetal components, mass lumps, textiles, sanitary towels, paper napkins, plastic, toiletries and similar objects.

STATE OF THE ART

A submersible pump basically comprises a suction nozzle through which the water is absorbed in virtue of a turbine or a driver associated to a motor responsible of its actuation and the liquid is expelled from the pumping chamber and transported to the surface through an outlet duct.

The submersible pumps may be used to pump treated water or waste waters. Said waters are distinguished in accordance with the maximum size of the solid particles that may be pumped through the pump, where, for the purpose of classification of the solid particles, said maximum size is determined in relation to their spherical shape and diameter which are assumed as the size.

Waste waters are characterized because they include solid material, fibrous materials, vegetal components, mass lumps, textiles, sanitary towels, paper napkins, plastic, toiletries and similar objects. Said objects obstruct and damage the submersible pump. Sometimes contaminants are too big to be able to pass through the turbine or driver, thus producing clogging or obstruction.

Septic tanks or wastewater tanks, as a result of precipitation, produce the accumulation of residue at the bottom resulting in a muddy substance.

Within the proposed solutions for the functioning of pumps in wastewaters, to avoid the clogging or obstruction of the pump due to solid objects, as well as to avoid contact with the muddy bottom, it has been worked along the line of including grinding means and/or filtering means of the objects in wastewaters before being introduced to the inlet suction nozzle of the water pump.

In relation with the filtering means, the state of the art shows that the suction inlet may have a filtering grid or holes in a protective lid for the protection of the suction inlet, being adapted to allow the circulation of sand and gravel.

Japanese patent N, JP 2004282913A shows a submersible pump that is adequate to pump in a building site. The submersible pump has a body that is placed on a base. Said base is provided with holes in a lateral surface, from where water is drawn through the holes of the body of the base. The flow of bigger pieces of rock is avoided by adjusting consistent with the size of the holes.

German patent N. DE 20 2011 000 193 U1 describes a submersible pump in which the external casing is surrounded by a cylindrical strainer. The external diameter of the strainer is bigger than the external diameter of the external covering, such that a greater transversal section of flow is obtained for the means to be pumped. The strainer is adjustable in an axial sense in the external covering, so that space can be adjusted in said inlet between a minimum height, on which support elements rest on the base of the strainer, and an increaser height of said space.

Spanish patent ES 100510104 U describes a submersible pump that comprises a cylindrical body, an attachment hook, a retention valve and an outlet tube, and at the opposite area, the body of the pump includes a ball check valve, perforations and a counterweight.

Patent US 205/0263450 A1 describes a removable filter for a submersible pump that is placed at the suction nozzle of said pump, particularly, at the lateral area and next to sail suction inlet.

Patent US20140102960A1 describes a casing with holes not only at the suction inlet but also all along the length of said casing but said holes have a size that is smaller than the size of the passage of solids allowed by the pump. Furthermore, the interior of said casing is covered by a metallic mesh to avoid the solids from entering through said holes.

In nowadays pumps, the flow of water together with the solid occurs at the suction nozzle of the pump where the turbine or drive is allocated. In some cases, a metallic mesh or die cast elements with holes that act as a filter, and do not exceed or minimally surpass the surrounding area of the inlet nozzle. The diameter of said holes being very small allowing at the most the passage of grit and gravel.

There are several problems that need to be solved in relation to submersible water pumps. One problem is to maximize the possibilities to flow towards the pump that the water has when presenting solid matter. In that sense, it is mandatory to avoid the muddy accumulation at the bottom to enter the suction nozzle, because said muddy substance, being a product of precipitation, will include hard solid objects such as nails, metallic parts, stones that may obstruct and damage the pump. But, at the same time, it is mandatory that the water is able to flow towards the suction nozzle. The addition of filters at the area near the suction nozzle frequently contributes to the obstruction as the dirtiness of the water adheres to the mesh or filters obstructing the passage of water and resulting in a damage to the pump that is operating in a vacuum. The second problem consists in avoiding the clogging of the flow of water provoked by textile material such as rags, paper towels, paper napkins, sanitary towels, and in general flat and flexible material. Another problem is to avoid the inflow of hard solids such as metallic objects, stones, etc., that may be entering the chamber while it is emptied or may be supported by a floating residue and then become detached from it.

The aforementioned antecedents do not solve these problems as in general they only include small holes for the flow of water in the area near the suction nozzle of the pump. Patent US201401012960A1 extends this area including holes not only at the suction nozzle but also along the length of the casing but said holes are small and are covered inside by a mesh that again produces clogging of the holes with small solids, as well as paper towels, napkins, sanitary towels. Moreover, small pieces of shredded paper, rags or sanitary towels will obstruct the holes, even if they are big or small, due to the mesh that works as a filter.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention discloses a pump that is surrounded by an external casing around the body of the pump at a determined distance, thus conforming a space through which water may circulate within the outside of the casing to the inside of the casing and to the area of suctions nozzle; said casing includes holes for the passage of water and solids, where the bigger holes are equal to the maximum diameter of the solid passage allowed by the pump. Said holes also include a space maintainer appliance for the sorting out of objects that does not affect water circulation. These space maintainer appliances includes means to be fixed and fit into the holes of the casing, and means to keep and consists objects such as towels, sanitary towels and textiles at a certain distance away from the casing, managing not to obstruct the holes and hinder the water from circulating. The object of the present invention is to allow the intake of soft solids and small and admissible hard solids in the submersible pump, said solids will be suctioned by the pump, this decreasing the accumulation of muddy matter at the bottom of the water tank, thus avoiding the clogging of the holes most proximal to the suction nozzle, and thus allowing the cleaning of said tank with less frequency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom view in perspective and separated in parts of the present invention, where the relevant parts of said disclosure are an exterior casing (1), big holes (2), small holes (3), engine (4), area of the suction nozzle (5), flow sensor (6), a turbine (8) an outlet duct (9) and a flap valve (7), a top lid of the casing (12) and a bottom lid or base (13).

FIG. 2 represents an embodiment of the space maintainer appliance with a wavy U-shape (10).

FIG. 3 represents an embodiment of the space maintainer appliance with a multi headed shape (11).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

According to the abovementioned illustrations, the present invention is a transfer and/or drainage pump, comprising an engine (4), usually electric, contained in a sealed body, that powers a turbine (8); said turbine sucks liquid that is close to the suction nozzle (5), and said liquid is expelled through an outlet duct (9).

The external casing (1) that surrounds the pump, includes a set of small holes (2) extending over the inferior area of its surface, around the casing (1) near the suction nozzle (5), and a set of bigger holes (2) extending over the superior area of the casing (1), said bigger holes (3) having the same diameter as the maximum diameter of solids allowed by the turbine (8). The amount of holes is the maximum possible so as to slow the flow of liquid through the holes, compared to the flow rate of the suction of the turbine, and facilitating the decanting of the solids that do not pass through the holes. To that effect, the sum of the surface of the holes is at least 500 cm2 and will depend on the flow rate of the pump in order to avoid the bomb to vacuum work.

The external casing includes a top lid (12) and an inferior lid or floor (13). The top lid (12) avoids the flow of residue inside the casing caused by precipitation, furthermore the casing hinders the flow of solids caused by precipitation due to its vertical configuration, such solids accumulating at the bottom of the tank. The inferior lid or floor (13) of the casing isolates the suction nozzle (5) from the muddy substance that accumulates at the bottom of the water tank.

The pump shows a compact design, where the body of the engine and the outlet duct maintain a parallel configuration and very close one to the other so as to minimize the space occupied by the pump. The structure of the pump is surrounded by the casing at sufficient distance between the perforations and the pump so as not to allow the flow of solids with admissible diameter, but with an excessive length. Thus the recommended distance between the perforations and the proximal parts of the pump will be between one or two diameters from the maximum diameter for the passage of solids allowed by the turbine. With the present embodiment, the hard and heavy solids will precipitate and remain at the bottom of the water chamber, due to the fact that the power of suction is distributed all along the surface of the casing producing a minimum alteration of the flow outside of the same, thanks to the holes without filters of the casing. The soft and light solids that float, in the extent that the length and diameter allow, will enter within the casing and be suctioned by the turbine and expelled through the outlet duct.

As compared with traditional pumps, every time that the passage of solids is allowed for the same to be expelled by the turbine, the use of a non-mechanical flow sensor will be necessary, especially not one with floating system, as this one could jam when being exposed to solids. Thus, preferably, an electrical or electronic flow sensor will be used. The flow sensor (6) is inserted inside the casing (1), activated when in contact with water and deactivates moments later when contact with water is interrupted.

Moreover, in the case of pumps for residual waters, the clogging of the holes may be caused by textile material, sanitary towels, paper towels and cleansing material. If the obstruction of the holes surpasses the area necessary for the circulation of water through the casing in accordance with the rate flow of the pump, a vacuum will be produced and in order to preserve the functioning of the pump, the flow sensor (6) will deactivate the engine due to the fact that said sensor is no longer in contact with water.

The present invention includes a set of space maintainer appliances for the detachment of textile products, sanitary towels, towels, rags that are objects that produce the greater damage to submersible pumps due to the obstruction the can provoke. The space maintainer appliances may have a wavy shape, circular shape or omega like shape, in order to keep flexible products away from the walls of the casing and are affixed to the holes of the casing. The towels, sanitary towels and rags, when being near the casing due to the circulation of water, shall contact with the space maintainer appliances. Such space maintainers does not allow the towels, sanitary towels or rags to reach and obstruct the casing holes, and these flexible objects may precipitate vertically along the space maintainers or be bent or hooked thus avoiding, in such way too, the obstruction of the casing holes.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the space maintainers appliances consist on means to keep object away from the casing wall and means to fit or be fixed to the casing holes. A preferred embodiment consists on a thin ductile thread, with a certain elasticity, such as a wire, for example, or a plastic thread. The shape and elasticity of said thin thread allows to press-fit each piece into the holes and makes a sort of barrier at a distance of at least 1 centimetre and preferably equal to the diameter of the hole, that maintains the towels, sanitary towels or rags far from the hole and also avoid that said object from remaining flat, reaching the hole and obstructing it. Thus, the capacity of the pump to pump water before the saturation of textile objects that surround it, is maximized. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A submersible water pump, comprising an external casing surrounding the body of the pump, said casing including a top lid, a bottom lid and a surrounding wall, said wall with small holes near the area where the suction nozzle is located and, in the rest of the surrounding wall, big holes for the passage of water and solid material
 2. The submersible water pump of claim 1, comprising a casing where the sum of the area of the small holes where the suction nozzle is located have a minimum total surface for the flow of water of at least of 500 cm2.
 3. The submersible water pump of claim 1, comprising a casing where the big holes have a diameter equivalent to the maximum diameter of solids allowed by the turbine.
 4. The submersible water pump of claim 1, comprising a casing where the big holes have a diameter almost as big as the maximum diameter of solids allowed by the turbine.
 5. The submersible water pump of claim 1, comprising space maintainers appliances to keep objects away from the casing wall.
 6. The submersible water pump of claim 5, where the space maintainers appliances include means to fit or be fixed to the casing holes.
 7. The submersible water pump of claim 5, where the space maintainers appliances comprise a thin ductile thread, with a certain elasticity, such as a wire, or a plastic thread.
 8. The submersible water pump of claim 5, where the space maintainers appliances comprise a wavy U-shape.
 9. The submersible water pump of claim 5, where the space maintainers appliances comprises a multiheaded shape.
 10. The submersible water pump of claim 5, where the space maintainers appliances comprise a Omega-like head shape.
 11. The submersible water pump of claim 5, comprising space maintainers appliances, where the space maintainers appliances include means to fit or be fixed to the casing holes, said space maintainers appliances are formed by a thin ductile thread, with a certain elasticity, such as a wire, or a plastic thread with an omega-like head shape or wavy U-shape, to keep objects away from the casing wall.
 12. The submersible water pump of claim 11, comprising an electric flow sensor fixed to the casing wall. 